(Updates with market opening prices)

By Ragini Mathur

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index dipped on

Friday in choppy trading as investors evaluated domestic jobs

data, which hit the expectations of the Bank of Canada cutting

interest rates in March.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 0.1% at

25,500.93.

The benchmark index was largely flat for the week, with U.S.

tariff uncertainty and mixed earnings from major Canadian

companies weighing on the overall market sentiment.

Canada's unemployment rate unexpectedly fell and the economy

posted another solid month of job gains, data showed, signaling

that joblessness was starting to ease.

Following the release of the data, bets for a 25-basis-point

rate cut by the Canadian central bank in March decreased to

54.7% from the earlier 72%.

"What's a good sign for the economy is the private sector

jobs are growing that also means potentially the Bank of Canada

might not have to cut interest rates as much as expected,"

said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth

Management.

"So, based on that, we're seeing a little bit of a pullback

today in the Canadian market."

Meanwhile, U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in

January, but a 4% unemployment rate probably gives the Federal

Reserve cover to hold off cutting interest rates at least until

June.

On the TSX, communication shares lost as much as

1.3%. BCE Inc ( BCEXF ) was down 4.1%.

The healthcare sector slipped about 1%.

The fall came as shares of cannabis firm Canopy Growth ( CGC )

sank 19.2% after posting a bigger third-quarter loss,

triggering pot stocks Cronos Group ( CRON ) and Tilray Brands

to tumble more than 3% and 4%, respectively.

On the flip side, the energy sector was among the

top winners on the index with a rise of 1%, boosted by higher

crude prices.